Infertility Flashcards
What are the specific goals of evaluation of infertile male:
Identify:
- potentially correctable conditions
- irreversible conditions that are amenable to ART using sperm of male partner
- irreversible conditions not amenable → donor sperm or adoption
- life- or health-threatening conditions underlying or associated medical comorbidities
- genetic abnormalities or lifestyle and age factors that may affect male patient or offspring (esp is ART employed)
When should infertility be evaluated?
After 6 months of attempted conception when a female partner is > 35 yo.
For infertility evaluation whom should be evaluated and what is included evaluation?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 1
initial fertility eval, both male and female partners should undergo concurrent evaluation
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 2
evaluation should include reproductive history and one or more semen analysis (if 2, at least 1 mo apart)
Reference limits for SA by WHO:
Semen volume → 1.5 mL
Total Sperm # → 39 milllion/ejaculate
Sperm Concentration → 15 million/mL
Vitality → 58%
Progresive Motility → 40%
Total Motility → 40%
Morphology Normal Forms → 4%
Types of sperm abnormalities:
Azoospermia → no sperm
Teratozoospermia → abnormal form (macrospermia - large, globospermia - round - could be WBC)
Necrozoospermia → dead sperm
Asthenozoospermia → reduced or absent or aberrant motility
Whom should evaluate men with abnormal SA?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 3
men with one or more abnormal semen parameters should be evaluated by male reproductive expert:
complete H&P
directed tests as indicated
Evaluation of male should be considered particularly when couples have:
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 4
Failed ART or recurrent reproductive losses (RPL)
Clinicians should counsel infertile men or with abnormal SA of which health risks associated with abnormal semen parameters:
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 5
infertility or abnormal SA may be harbinger of medical dz
Proven: testicular cancer, mortality, charleston comorbidity index
Possible: DMII, , MS, chronic epididymtiis
Unclear: prostate cancer, melanoma, other cancer, STI, thyroid disorders
Infertile men with specific conditions should be informed of which associated health conditions?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 6
pts with identifiable causes of infertility should be informed of relevant, associated conditions
Klinefelters: testosterone deficiency (possible perinatal disorders, anomalies, genetic disorders, respiratory disorders, CVD, endocrine, malignant neoplasms)
Cystic Fibrosis: tooth enamel defects, pulmonary, pancreatic
Hypospadias: urinary anomalies
Cryptorchidism: testicular cancer
Testosterone deficiency: DMII, metabolic disorder, CVD, HTN, all cause mortality, CVD mortality, alzheimer’s (possible PAD, rapid bone lose, lung and testicular cancer, CCI, prostate cancer)
Couples with advanced paternal age (>40) should be counseled of increased risk:
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 7
of health outcomes for their offspring
(germ line mutations, chromosomal abnormalities, birth defects, chondrodysplasia, schizophrenia, autism)
What are risk factors associated with male infertility that should be discussed and counseled:
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 8
lifestyle, medication usage, environmental exposures
(i.e. obesity, diet, alcohol, smoking, steroids, stress, pesticides, metals [lead, zinc, copper], chemicals)
current data on majority of risk factors are limited
Results from SA should be used to:
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 9
guide mgmt. of patient, greatest clinical significance when multiple abnormalities present (OR of infertility inc with more abnormal parameters)
What labs are important in infertile men and for what indications?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 10
FSH and testosterone
Low T < 300 → LH, estradiol, prolactin
impaired libido, ED, oligozoospermia, azoospermia, atrophic testis, evidence of hormonal abnormality on PE
Azoospermic men should be evaluated with what tests and why?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 11
semen volume, PE, FSH
differentiate obstruction vs. impaired production
(low volume, acidic pH → obstruction)
Patient with primary infertility and azoospermia or severe oligospermia (< 5 million sperm/mL) (non-obstructive) should have:
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 12
Karyotype and Y-chromosome microdeletion analysis
likely have elevated FSH and testicular atrophy (possible impaired sperm production)
Patients with vasal agenesis or idiopathic obstructive azoospermia should have? what should partner have if concern?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 13
CFTR mutation carrier testing (5T allele) q31.2 of Ch. 7
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 14
Men with CFTR, partner should have genetic evaluation
What is NOT recommended in initial evaluation of infertile couple?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 15
DNA fragmentation analysis
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 18
Antisperm antibody (ASA) testing
*trauma, mumps, testis malignancy, vasal obstruction, vasectomy, patency of genital tract
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 21
Scrotal US
GUIDELINE STATMENT 22
TRUS
What could increased round cells on SA indicate? What concentration is concerning? What should patients be evaluated for? How do you treat infertility due to chronic prostatitis?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 16
>1 million/mL differentiate from WBC (pyospermia)
*special stains differentiate germ cells from somatic cells
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 17
pyospermia should be evaluated for infection
*chronic prostatitis, abx 6 weeks, dx by alkaline pH and leukocytes on SA
What is the utility for testing antisperm antibodies? How are they tested? How treated?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 18
ASA should not be done on initial evaluation
When it would change treatment → (poor motility-isolated asthenospermia, agglutination, or abnormal post-coital test, or unexplained):
trauma, mumps orchitis, testis malignancy, vasal obstruction, vasectomy that disrupts the blood-testis barrier, or the patency of the male genital tract allowing sperm antigens or genital tract infections to generate ASA → can result in sperm agglutination in the semen
- Mixed agglutination: mix sperm with RBC coated in human Ab, ASA will cause linking and agglutination of RBC
- Immunobead assay: polysaccharide beads with rabbit anti-human Ab, beads bind to sperm containing ASA
TX: oral steroids, ART
When couples have RPL, what tests are appropriate?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 19
Karyotype and sperm DNA fragmentation
In differentiating between obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia is there a role for dx testicular bx?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 20
NO
*predicted from clinical and lab tests without surgical dx biopsy
*FSH >7.6 and testis longitudinal axis < 4.6 → 89% chance of spermatogenic dysfunction
When should clinicians recommend TRUS for infertility?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 22
Not on initial evaluation
In men with SA suggestive of ejaculatory duct obstruction (EDO) (i.e. acidic-pH < 7, azoospermic, semen volume < 1.5 mL, normal serum T, palpable vas deferens)
For isolated small or moderate right varicocele, is any other imaging indicated routinely?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT
NO, abdominal imaging for this sole indication
(only consider if large and non-reducible)
What abdominal imaging is recommended if vasal agenesis is present?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 24
Renal US to evaluate for renal abnormalities
(male genital tract derive from Wolffian or mesonephric tract, paired which forms epididymis, vs, SV → anomalies can lead to renal anomalies)
When should surgical varicocelectomy be considered for infertility? When should it not?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 25
in men attempting to conceive who have palpable varicocele, infertility, and abnormal semen parameters, except azoospermic men
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 26
men with non-palpable varicoceles detected solely on imaging
In men with clinical varicocele and non-obstructive azoospermia, what is recommended?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 27
absence of evidence supporting varicocele repair
proceed to ART
How is sperm retrieval recommended in men with NOA? Should any pharmacologic manipulation be utilized prior to surgical intervention?
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 28
microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE)
*micro-TESE → wide opening of tunica albuginea to allow exam of multiple regions of tissue, each oriented in centrifugal pattern to parallel blood supply, allowing extensive search of all testis areas with limited devascularization
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 45
Patients with NOA there is limited data supporting pharmacologic manipulation such as SERMs, AIs, and gonadotropins prior to sx intervention
Sperm surgically retrieved fro ICSI may be:
GUIDELINE STATEMENT 29
fresh or cryopreserved